Matrimandir and Tamil Language Class

One of the distinctive aspects of Auroville is Matrimandir (http://www.auroville.org/contents/678), the large, golden sphere in the center of the town. Its construction began three years after the founding of Auroville, and it took 37 years to complete it. Surrounded by well-manicured grounds, it is situated next to a banyan tree (http://www.auroville.org/contents/2139), the only tree that existed in Auroville upon its founding in 1968. An estimated 2 million trees have been planted in the area since then.

Students received an introductory lesson in Tamil [http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tamil.htm], the primary language of the Tamil Nadu state in India. In its spoken form, it is estimated to be over 7,000 years old, and there are 80 million people speaking Tamil worldwide today.